AWF Urges Senate to Oppose First Responders Union Bill
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October 9, 2007
Dear Senator,
On behalf of the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), and the American worker, I am writing to urge you to oppose S. 2123, the so-called “Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007”, as it is a direct violation of the 10th Amendment and a flagrant threat to workers’ rights across the nation.
This bill, sponsored by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), and unconscionably passed in the House (314-97), will mandate that city governments engage in collective bargaining with labor unions representing public safety officers and emergency first responders.
Since the establishment of the National Labor Relations Act, Congress has respected our federalist system by leaving collective bargaining up to the states. Even in the union-booming years of the 1930’s, Congress has not had the audacity to trample on this separation of powers until now. Senator, it is imperative that you do not set the dangerous precedent of denying states their federalist powers. Vote “no” on S. 2123.
S. 2123 will allow unions to bargain over employee hours, wages, benefits and condition of employment, ultimately leading to higher costs for goods and services. This bill mandates the creation of emergency first responders unions. Given that union bosses often encourage and push for union members to strike over supercilious circumstances to further their own personal agendas, consider the repercussions of an emergency first responder, police or fire strike in your home state, or perhaps even your neighborhood.
As evident from the 2005 New York City transit strike, which this left millions of commuters stranded by the transportation shortage, union strikes can leave Americans without the services they desperately depend on. If police, fire and emergency first responders went on a strike similar to the NYC transit strike, the result could be a rash of violence, theft, and even death – all preventable by voting “no” on S. 2123.
Do you really want to answer to your constituents when cities must cave to extortionist-level demands just to keep ambulances on the streets and cops fighting crime? AWF encourages you to vote against S. 2123 and not allow union thugs to strong-arm safety services. We may rate final passage of this bill.
Sincerely,
Brian M Johnson,
Director of Policy
